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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bore — to drill
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. snap — to click
  16. bore — to tire
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. craft — boats
  20. kick — in football
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com